Harper: Lita deserves to end goal drought

Lita has had to be content with a place on the bench in recent weeks and has only netted one Premiership goal this season – on the opening day of the season against Middlesbrough.

But midfielder Harper, who has yet to find the back of the net this season, reckons the £1million striker will find the target sooner rather than later.

“Leroy has been training unbelievably well and I really want him to score a goal,” said Harper. “On Saturday against Bolton a chance bounced for me and I know I should have just hit it but I wanted to lay it off for him to score.

"I could hear the gaffer shouting at me. He wasn’t too pleased, but I wanted Leroy to score so much.

“I think he is a natural goalscorer. He reminds me of Curo (Jamie Cureton) because he just scores for fun. I want to score too but it doesn’t bother me as much as it would a striker. They are the ones who get you the goals and it means more to them.”

While Lita has found chances hard to come by, fellow striker Kevin Doyle is enjoying a purple patch, having netted in five of his last six Royals matches.

The £78,000 signing from Cork City is joint top scorer in the Premiership and Harper added: “Doyler is taking all the praise at the moment.

“It’s a bit unfair really. It’s embarrassing considering he cost £78,000! He is nicking a living! He had a hell of a season last year and is just carrying it on.”

Team-mate Stephen Hunt, though, holds his fellow Irishman responsible for denying him his first goal of the season in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Bolton.

“I was at the back post waiting for it,” said Hunt. “I called but there was no chance he was going to leave it. The boy is buzzing but long may it continue. He gets a goal but all he is thinking about is getting another.”